Cell Structure And Function

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cell

Back 1

the basic unit of structure and function in living things

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microscope

Back 2

an instrument that makes small objects look larger

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cell theory

Back 3

a widely accepted explanation of the relationship between cells and living things

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organelle

Back 4

a tiny cell structure that carries out a specific function within the cell

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cell wall

Back 5

a rigid layer of nonliving material that surrounds the cells of plants and some other organisms

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cell membrane

Back 6

a cell structure that controls which substances can leave or enter the cell

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nucleus

Back 7

a cell structure that contains nucleic acids, the chemical instructions that direct all the cell's activities

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cytoplasm

Back 8

the region between the cell membrane and the nucleus; in organisms without a nucleus, the region located inside the cell membrane

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mitochondria

Back 9

rod-shaped cell structures that convert energy in food molecules to energy the cell can use to carry out its functions

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endoplasmic reticulum

Back 10

a cell structure that forms a maze of passageways in which proteins and other materials are carried from one part of the cell to another

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ribosome

Back 11

a small grain-like structure in the cytoplasm of a cell where proteins are made

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Golgi body

Back 12

a structure in a cell that receives proteins and other newly formed materials from the endoplasmic reticulum, packages them, and distributes them to other parts of the cell

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chloroplast

Back 13

a structure in the cells of plants and some other organisms that captures energy from sunlight and uses it to produce food

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vacuole

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a sac inside a cell that acts as a storage area

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lysosome

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a small, round cell structure containing chemicals that break down large food particles into smaller ones

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element

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any substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances

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compound

Back 17

two or more elements that are chemically combined

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carbohydrate

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energy-rich organic compound, such as a sugar or starch, that is made of the elements carbon, hydrogen, or oxygen

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protein

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large organic molecule made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur

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amino acid

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a small molecule that is linked chemically to other amino acids to form proteins

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enzyme

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a type of protein that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living thing

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lipid

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energy-rich organic compound, such as fat, oil, or wax, that is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

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nucleic acid

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very large organic molecule made of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus, that contains the instructions cells need to carry out all the functions of life

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DNA

Back 24

deoxyribonucleic acid; the genetic material that carries information about an organism and is passed from parent to parent

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RNA

Back 25

ribonucleic acid; a nucleic acid that plays an important role in the production of proteins

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selectively permeable

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a property of cell membranes that allows some substances to pass through, while others cannot

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diffusion

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the process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration

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osmosis

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the diffusion of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane

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passive transport

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the movement of materials through a cell membrane without using energy

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active transport

Back 30

the movement of materials through a cell membrane using cellular energy